Mom Bloggers' Voices and Votes Influence State of the Union

NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mom Bloggers (view infographic), defined as women who have at least one child in their household and have read or contributed to a blog in the past 30 days, make up fourteen percent of all American moms (defined as women with at least one child in the household). However, according to a new study from Scarborough Research, a consumer marketing research firm, their social and political influence reach far beyond the confines of the playground. Among other findings, the study shows that Mom Bloggers are much more politically involved and socially mindful than their non-blogging counterparts.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111027/NY95136-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111027/NY95136-b )

Over three-quarters (76%) of Mom Bloggers assert that they "always" vote in presidential elections, while 45% "always" vote in state elections. In terms of party identification, 29% of Mom Bloggers self-identify as Democrat, a quarter (25%) as Republican, and 29% as Independent. 17% choose none of these labels to describe themselves. Mom Bloggers are more than twice as likely as all mothers to have contributed to a political organization in the past twelve months.

While no single political party unifies Mom Bloggers, the Scarborough Study shows that they find consensus via cultural and environmental issues. They are more than twice as likely as all moms to have contributed to an arts/cultural organization. Additionally, Mom Bloggers are 75% more likely to have contributed to a social care/welfare organization and 64% more likely to have contributed to an environmental organization. In fact, Mom Bloggers are 85% more likely than all mothers to support a politician based on environmental issues and they are 38% more likely to have done volunteer work in the past year.

Taking a demographic look, Mom Bloggers are 52% more likely than all mothers to have completed a college or post-graduate education. Though they are roughly the same average age (37) as moms overall, the average household income for Mom Bloggers is $14,000 higher, totaling $84,000 per year. They are 88% more likely to pay more for eco-friendly products and services and 89% of Mom Bloggers have children between two and eleven years of age.

"As politicians become more digital-marketing savvy and their campaigns more technologically sophisticated, the Mom Bloggers' influence in the online community might make them a key demographic to watch this election year," says Deirdre McFarland, vice president of marketing and communications, Scarborough Research and mother of two. "Not only does their dedication to social activism make Mom Bloggers highly influential, but their financial flexibility and willingness to purchase items complimentary to their values also make them a marketing prospect rich with possibilities."

Buying behavior for Mom Bloggers is consistently motivated by environmental concerns and awareness. For example, Mom Bloggers are 69% more likely than all moms to buy organic food on a regular basis. They are also 46% more likely to purchase locally grown food. Additionally, Mom Bloggers are 49% more likely than all mothers to buy eco-friendly cleaning products.

In terms of media consumption, Mom Bloggers were 38% more likely to have visited a broadcast TV website in the past 30 days and 51% more likely to have visited a newspaper website in that time. Mom Bloggers are 20% more likely to listen to news radio and 58% of Mom Bloggers watch the local news on television. Mom Bloggers' online habits are also illustrative. In the past 30 days, nearly all (90%) Mom Bloggers have visited a social networking website, 77% checked the weather, more than two thirds (70%) paid bills online and nearly half (46%) browsed the web for coupons.

"Mom Bloggers aren't just media users – they're media makers," says McFarland. "As the dividing lines between newspaper, television, radio and Internet continue to blur, it is essential to identify the influencers that are engaged across media. Mom Bloggers are a great example of people who use the Internet as their primary platform, but are still active with other kinds of media."

According to the Scarborough Research, Scarborough USA+ Study, Release 1 2011, the top local markets for Moms who have read or contributed to blogs in the past thirty days are: Salt Lake City (35%), Seattle/Tacoma (23%), Austin (21%), Nashville (21%), Washington, D.C. (20%) and San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (20%).

For more information regarding this or other Scarborough studies, please contact Brad Sherer at [email protected].

About Scarborough Research

Scarborough (www.scarborough.com, [email protected]) measures American life. Our consumer insights reflect shopping patterns, media usage across platforms, and lifestyle trends for adults. Media professionals and marketers use Scarborough insights to make smarter marketing/business decisions on things like ad placement, multicultural targeting, and sponsorship opportunities. The company's core syndicated consumer insight studies in 77 Top-Tier Markets, its Multi‐Market Study and its national USA+ Study are Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited. Other products and services include Scarborough Mid‐Tier Local Market Studies, Hispanic Studies and Custom Research Solutions. Scarborough measures 2,000 consumer categories and serves a broad client base that includes marketers, advertising agencies, print and electronic media (broadcast and cable television, radio stations), sports teams and leagues and out-of-home media companies. Surveying more than 210,000 adults annually, Scarborough is a joint venture between Arbitron Inc. (www.arbitron.com) and The Nielsen Company (www.nielsen.com).

SOURCE Scarborough Research